Chapter 17 Caught Red-Handed #2
He was also Jackie’s shadow and secretly in love with her, though she pretended not to notice. It was the best thing for their working relationship. They were monster hunters and often in tight situations. Mixing business with pleasure could mean risking their lives…literally.
It wasn’t bad enough that he had cheeks as red as my favorite rosy lip tint, but then painfully, his lips lifted into the most awkwardly forced smile I’d ever seen on a grown man. It looked like his face hurt!
How embarrassing. She definitely told him everything. Big mouth ass!
“Food acquired!” Jackie lifted the bags, and Miguel mimicked her, lifting trays of coffee. “Wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee, Raymond, so I got black and had them throw in creamers and flavors on the side so you can make your own concoction.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.” Raymond reached around me to grab the bags. “Miguel, right? Let’s go in and set this up. Give the women time to talk about us.”
“Sounds good to me.” Miguel shot me a nervous glance and then stepped around to enter the house.
“He seems a lot friendlier today than yesterday.” Jackie stuck her tongue out at me when the guys were out of view. “You put it on him, didn’t you? Got that mood adjustment.” She swirled her hips then humped the air with mimed thrusts.
“Hush!” I pushed her back and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind me.
“What’s with you?” Jackie laughed. “Since when are you so uptight, Jericha?”
“Jackie, this is already a difficult scenario. Please. And did you have to tell Miguel everything? I can see by that stupid look on his face that you did. Usually, he tries to look all debonair, but now, he just looks like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I can’t take this. It's too—”
“Yo! Chill out!” Jackie grabbed my hands, which were flailing as I spoke, and pinned them to my side. “This isn’t the woman I know. Why are you all over the place?”
“I…” I took a deep breath. “Girl, I don’t know. This man, that demon. He’s all up in my head, and I can’t get him out.”
“Damn. I was just teasing you, but this is serious.” She sucked her teeth. “I have never known any man to get under your skin. You’re the prototype for all my hype woman shit. Who am I going to tell my people to model themselves after if you start falling apart now?”
“Thanks for adding the pressure here. And yes, it is serious, which is why I’m so annoyed you told Miguel.”
“Girl, I didn’t tell that man anything.” She rolled her eyes at me. “He saw Raymond. The man ain’t blind. And he is smart enough to put two and two together. You guys were in your pajamas looking all disheveled. Anyone with half a sense would come to the same conclusion. Boots were knocking.”
“We didn’t have sex.” I told what couldn’t officially be called a lie. No sex was had—I mean, Raymond had a feast, but there was no penetration…by his dick.
“Either way, he doesn’t care. And neither do I…” she said. “I see how you look at Raymond. And now that I see how you’re physically responding to the man… Look, as long as he doesn’t hurt you…”
“Stop it.” I held my hand up. “Don’t give the protective sister speech. This ain’t that.”
“Tell yourself whatever you need.” She let my hands go and rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand why people choose to cling to their delusions.”
“Because they’re safer than reality.” I offered her the only explanation I could think of.
“Yeah, whatever. Now, can we get in there before my eggs get cold?” she fussed. “I hate reheated eggs!”
Fifteen minutes later, we all sat around the table with food in front of us.
Awkward sounds of forks scraping against plates, glasses clinking, and chewing noises filled the kitchen.
I avoided looking directly at anyone in the room by becoming overly concerned with my plants.
The succulents looked a little wimpy. They definitely needed some love. How hadn’t I noticed?
“So…demons. Those are real, and they’re attacking. Wild, huh?” Miguel held up a piece of toast like it was a microphone.
Jackie elbowed him in the side. “Great ice breaker.”
“Hey, it's better than sitting here listening to everyone chew.” Miguel dropped his toast. “I’m sorry, but there is an enormous elephant sitting in this room, and I feel like its ass is in my face.”
“Not the imagery I need in my head right now.” Raymond looked at Miguel over the brim of his cup.
“He could have been less vulgar, but he’s right.” Jackie leaned back in her seat. “As delicious as all this is, we’re here for more than breakfast. What’s the plan?”
“We talked it over last night.” I glanced at Raymond. “I’m going to set up Natalie so she can handle things for the company while I’m away, and then I’ll go with Raymond to…hell.”
“You’re setting up a training plan?” Jackie smirked. “Really? Is this the time for that?”
“Look, demons be damned, I’m not messing up my business. According to Raymond, a day in hell is like a week on Earth. I can’t be away for that long without making sure everything is good here. When all this is done, I still have employees to pay, a mortgage, and clients who depend on me.”
“We can buy some time,” Raymond spoke up, looking at Jackie. “It makes sense to get things in order here before leaving. I’ll get the guys together, and we’ll coordinate our efforts with your team as well.”
“How long will you need?” Miguel asked. “We have men here, but we can’t keep them for weeks or months.”
“Just a couple of days to get Natalie trained.”
“I can hang around after you leave.” Jackie nodded. “Just to keep an eye on Natalie and the place until you return. It will be easier for me to move my operations here for a while than trying to keep our field men here. But they will stay until we’re sure the heat is off.”
“Once we leave, no one will be interested in coming here,” Raymond confirmed. “And if they do, they’ll follow our energy signatures back to the Bane.”
“What happens once you’re there? How will we know if you’re okay?” Jackie asked. “You’re taking one of my best friends to hell. I need to know what’s going on.”
“There’s no cell service in the Bane.” Raymond sipped his coffee.
“Do you want to take a moment and come up with a better answer? You better find a magical solution to this problem,” Jackie fussed. “Use your damn shadows. I don’t know, but figure out a way to let me know what’s happening.”
“I will do my best.” Raymond took a long sip from his coffee. “Actually, Noville, he may have some ideas. I wonder if there is an implant we can use.”
“Implant? In who?” My head snapped up. “You’re not implanting anything in my ass!”
“What about the one with the vanishing horns?” Jackie asked after laughing at my response. “He seems pretty smart. Maybe he knows something, considering you all said he had a girlfriend on Earth. How do they keep in touch?”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Raymond grumbled. “I don’t know what he knows, but I’ll ask.”
“Touchy subject, that man. What was his name?” Jackie tapped the table with her nail. “Metice, right?”
“Is there anything else we need to consider before I head out?” Raymond asked. “It will take a while to gather everyone. I’ll need at least the rest of the day.”
“Nope, I think we’re good. We can reconnect in the morning. Get a security detail up and running for the next couple of days until you leave.”
“Good.” Raymond stood and touched my shoulder. “I’ll be back.”
Without addressing any of Jackie’s comments, Raymond left. That familiar chill lasted only seconds after he vanished.
“You need to find out what’s up between him and that Metice.” Jackie snatched the piece of bacon Raymond left untouched on his plate. “There’s something there, I’m telling you.”
“Why?” I shook my head. “Does it matter?”
“Because I want to know! Since when do I need reasoning for wanting tea? Something tells me whatever is brewing between them is piping hot!”
“Be careful, or you’ll get burned,” Miguel chimed in. “Wouldn’t be the first time either.”
Jackie and Miguel hung around after Raymond left. The three of us hadn’t been together in years, and with what was happening, we didn’t want to miss the chance to catch up. I laughed as they recounted their adventures and tallied their kills. It was always a competition between the two of them.
Jackie updated me on Lena and Whitney and showed me her growing social media platform and business. I gave her a few of my marketing contacts I thought would be able to help her further expand when she spoke about a product line she was thinking of launching.
While the conversation continued, I worked on finishing up the tea blend I owed Miguel and tripled the recipe.
He deserved it, especially with having to deal with Jackie, who was more energetic than ever before.
Part of me wanted to call her out about Miguel like she had me about Raymond.
How quick would she be to curse me out if I pointed out that she clearly liked the man?
We also talked about her staying at my place once I was gone. Someone would need to take care of Kaa and the other plants. Jackie eagerly volunteered for the role. They liked her energy, and I trusted her not to give them dirty water or forget to rotate the potted plants for adequate sun exposure.
When they left, I went to my office,busying myself with finishing up the training materials for Natalie. I shot off an email letting her know we would start a new training schedule the next day.
After eating the food I’d ordered, my favorite burger and fries, I took a brief shower and headed to bed.
As my mind drifted off, I thought about Raymond and how much I wanted to have him next to me. Just before I could get frustrated by those thoughts, the chill was quickly replaced by the heat of his body. Raymond was there.
“I got you,” he whispered into my ear as he pulled me into his body.
How was I ever going to sleep comfortably again without him?